Pathogenetic detection, retrospective and pathogenicity analysis of a fatal case of Vibrio vulnificus in Shenzhen, China

We report a 36-year-old male patient died of V. vulnificus-induced septicaemia and multiple organ failure syndrome after oyster consumption at a restaurant. We isolated and identified V. vulnificus vv16015 from the patient's blood sample and antibiotic susceptibility tests indicated sensitivity to all 21 antibiotics. Oyster samples were subsequently collected from the restaurant's supplier and three strains of V. vulnificus were isolated. Whole genome sequencing and analysis revealed vv16015 to be distantly related to these strains and confirmed that V. vulnificus contamination was present in the seafood of the restaurant and supplier. Using a Galleria mellonella larvae infection model, the virulence of vv16015 was determined to be higher than that of comparison strains isolated from a surviving patient (vv15018) and an oyster (vv220015). The human and environment distribution of V. vulnificus in Shenzhen is sporadic and heterogeneous, and vv16015 is highly virulent compared to other strains.

Automated summary

This article reports a case of a patient who died from V. vulnificus infection after consuming oysters at a restaurant. The study found V. vulnificus contamination in the seafood from both the restaurant and the supplier. Whole genome sequencing revealed that the strain isolated from the patient was distantly related to other strains and had higher virulence.